Steven Universe: I live to Serve
by Fallen Paragon
Summary: Amidst the aftermath of a battle with the Crystal Gems, a rather distraught Peridot begins to search for a means to defend herself from her enemies but seems to continually fall short. However, in an unforeseen turn of events, she discovers a long buried experiment that could mean her salvation. Unbeknownst to her, this newly discovered Gem, is far too lost to even help himself...
1. Proluge: Wait

_**Steven Universe:**_

 _ **I Live to Serve…**_

 _ **Hello, everyone! How are you all? I really don't ask that often enough, do I? Anyway, this is the prologue to my take on a Steven Universe story involving an OC I have created. His character will be further detailed and flushed out in later chapters but, currently, I am just starting with this very short prologue that I hope intrigues you lovely guys and gals to keep reading. So, no flames please, this is a little prototype and, as we all know, there is no need for any insults.**_

 _ **I would also like to personally thank ShadowDragon1553 for not only helping me formulate this idea but also inspire me to write it with their own story, which I recommend, called Rebirth of a Phantom. And, finally, I just want to say that you are just awesome and I appreciate everything you did to help me!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own anything to do with the Steven Universe franchise but I do own the OC that this story centres around.**_

 _ **So, let's get started…**_

 _Prologue: Wait…_

' _What is my purpose?'_

 _He continued to ponder this quite daunting question to the void before him, his vision, or lack thereof, seemed to only add to his torment; the darkness gave no answers. It_ _ **never**_ _gave any answers. But… It always seemed kind enough to let him continue._

' _Do I have a purpose?'_

 _His voice did not Echo; he knew that, somehow, the Darkness was swallowing the sound from ever traversing further. The things he would repeat to himself, to the void, truly was tragic. His entire life could be distinguished by a few simple words. What little fragments he remembered of his life, anyway. Sometimes, he wondered if, with_ _ **this**_ _shrouded reality being his life, maybe it was one not worth living. Maybe it truly wasn't._

 _A definite factor, nevertheless, was that this place was…_ _ **Dark...**_ _Oh, so very dark within the small room that he had been trapped. He was unsure of where he was, but felt as if he had been compacted into the tight confines of this sealed… cell. He was unable to move, for the most part. Sitting up was an option, a painfully restrictive and slow one, but he felt as if there were little to no point in such an action as it only took a level of effort he no longer possessed and an aspect of time he did not have._

 _Restriction was not his main issue, though. It was the_ _ **Darkness**_ _that enveloped his very being. This malevolent force that tortured him constantly was something that consumed his entire reality; his existence was plagued by its unforgiving entropy. Many times he had attempted to gaze upon his own hand and palm, only to find it also shrouded in the nocturnal entropy that surrounded him. Other times he would use said invisible appendage and press his knuckles against his closed eyes, hoping that he would create tiny pressure-smears and bring some colour to the ever present darkness; he knew it to be futile… but… what were his other options?_

 _He couldn't call for help and, no matter how many times he tried, no one ever came..._

 _He was not able to escape as his cage… his cell… was so compact... and yet it seemed endless…_

 _He could not lose himself in some old memories for a moment of escapism… because he had none to remember… Well… apart from_ _ **that**_ _one…_

 _He could not even put himself out of his own misery… He was unable to muster the strength to damage his core, let alone scratch it… Not that he wanted to die… He was terrified of the eventuality more than this prison but… but… but he… He was just unable to see another way out…_

 _Maybe… Maybe he would just have to accept that there was no hope for his future outside of this place. He would just need to give up on those persevering thoughts that drove him towards the possibility of actually escaping this perdition. It wasn't like anyone would miss him… Nor would anyone care if he were to disappear from existence… It would be so easy to just give up and accept fates cruel desires…_

' _No…' He whispered to the void, the taunting immaterial entity ignoring his hushed declaration and instead swallowing them whole but he was not going to let that stop him; he could not accept such a defeat, not at the hands of_ _ **it**_ _. 'I won't give up!' His defiance to the inevitable could be seen as an admirable trait, along with an obviously foolish one, but he knew that a majority of it was just mere bravado and did not carry much weight._

 _However, that was all he could rely upon in this time… He could not give up… He would not lose to the immaterial!_

 _He just had to… to… to wait. He felt the cold slither of tears fall down his cheeks as he forced a desperate laugh. 'Yeah, someone will come and find me eventually… Yeah! I know it…' He pulled his knees to his chest, his tears falling at a faster rate; but the smile never left his lips, no matter how fake it truly was. 'I just need to… wait…'_

' _wait…'_

 _But… then he remembered…_

' _w-wait…'_

 _He couldn't bear waiting any longer…_

' _I have to… I…'_

 _It was breaking him…_

' _I… need… to…'_

 _And he knew that he could not take anymore…_

'… _wait.'_


	2. Chapter I: Last Hope

_**Steven Universe:**_

 _ **I Live to Serve…**_

 _ **I would like to explain why this story has changed from its originally set timeframe: After reviewing aspects about the character and his development, I want him to eventually be able develop through many of the earlier storylines and become far more involved with the other characters and events. For instance, appearing at an earlier setting will allow him to meet characters such as Peridot in two separate ways: as both an enemy and then a hesitant ally, leading to a much more developed bond between said characters.**_

 _ **So, to clarify, these events will begin and progress straight after the events of 'Friend-Ship'. Just so we don't' have any confusion. Also, please, again, no flames. I am glad I haven't got any for my first chapter but, seriously, there is no need for such negativity…**_

 _ **I would also like to, once again, personally thank ShadowDragon1553 for helping this amateur writer, once again, formulate this idea and make it a brilliant reality. And, finally, you are still awesome and I appreciate everything you have done to help me!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own anything to do with the Steven Universe franchise but I do own the OC that this story centres around.**_

 _ **So, let's get started…**_

Chapter I: Last Hope…

"Those stupid fools! Those traitorous rejects!" The lime-green, Home-world Gem continued to barked incessantly to the canyons below as she flew over the desolate plains of the Alpha Kindergarten, her thoughts and concentration focused on her hatred of her ever-present enemy. "Those… Those… Those… Crystal Clods!"

As always, the great technician known as Peridot had planned the most perfectly thought out and simple trap to ensnare her enemies and finally remove them as a threat to her work. This plot spawned of her own brilliance, alas, had failed; begrudgingly noting to herself that this mistake cost her an entire section of her legs enhancers. Frustration was certainly not the correct words to describe her frustration; at least that certainly seemed to be the case to anyone who was unlucky enough to hear her childish curses.

Screaming indignantly to the canyon below, Peridot failed to take notice of her current flight-path and a large incoming jutting section of the canyon closing in on her. "The next time I see them… I'll... Uh, I will make them pa-Agh!" The previously ignored jutting section of the canyon connected with her arm and ungraciously caused her only method of aerial propulsion to cease and allow gravity to take its sinisterly unfair grips upon her. "Oh no! No! No! No! No!"

Flinching at the distinct clang that resounded from her collision, the Gem groaned as she glanced ahead at her temporary base of operations… and the shoddy condition it had been left in by her predecessors. Pushing herself onto her feet, not willing to partake in anymore aerial manoeuvres for the time being, Peridot began to clumsily limp across the barren wasteland with her own thoughts latching onto the suddenly interesting subject of her present location… along with its awfully dismal appearance.

' _Lonely… Abandoned… Ruined…'_ The mechanically-enhanced Technician thought as she wandered further through the dark and desolate ruins, her already scuffed leg-enhancers kicking up some of the canyons dust and flicking the small particle-like grains behind her into a dusty cloud. _'How could have the other Technicians let the Kindergarten degrade so much?'_

The air was thick, clotted by the faint dusty haze. The ground was no longer a healthy beige, many blemishes of burnt and cracked earth blotted its once beautiful visage, showing its horrific disfigurement from a once proud natural beauty to a corrupted breeding ground. Peridot breathed in heavily, tasting the horribly copper taste lingering in the air from the abandoned _Injectors_ – her more advanced respiratory system still temporarily searing from the amount of clotted air she had unintentionally consumed – but felt like she could not simply ignore it and hope to find a much difference in contamination anywhere else. It was like this no matter the venture. Even the dark and desolate underground laboratories and observation hubs were not safe from this putrid pollution left behind by the decrepit machines.

Whenever she came here, alone or with preferably desired company of her last remaining _Robonoids_ , Peridot could not ever shred the awful feeling that came under the designation _**dread**_. She could feel it wherever she ventured within its horrid, stone walls. It lurked in the shadows of every corner, looming over her infectious joy like a predator preparing to strike. Its dark entropy lurked within the abandoned holes of the many born and unborn Gems. Its evil knew not the meaning of boundaries, seeping through every nook and cranny that crossed its path. And Peridot… could feel its presence at every single moment.

Glancing at the large deactivated machines and many 'birth-holes' scattered about the ruin, Peridot began to wonder how she could walk through these insanely eerie chasms before without even flinching. It seemed odd. Scratch that, it seemed almost impossible to wander these ruins without even feeling slightly uncomfortable; and, yet, Peridot did not seem to be phased in her previous ventures here. It made absolutely no sense!

Maybe… Maybe she was too preoccupied with her current mission to truly notice the atmosphere here…

' _Yeah, that sounds about right…'_

"Ah!" She squeaked as she tripped on a small jutting rock placed suitably to ruin her already miserable day with its unwanted presence; its location had, without a doubt, been planned a few million years before simply to conveniently inconvenience her at this very point in time. Yes, that sounded completely logical... "Ugh!" Her eyes narrowed as she slowly pushed herself from her fallen spot, glaring accusingly at the small rock as if it were her new mortal enemy.

"Well, then…" She sighed. "If I am unable to even defeat a group of defects, rejects and traitors…" Engaging her arm-cannon with the malice of a born soldier, the technician laughed maniacally as the weapon charged it's incredibly efficient and destructive beam to eliminate the insufferable earth indentation. "Then I can, at least, eliminate you from ever plaguing my existence ever again!"

Firing slightly crookedly, Peridot lost her usually stable balance and collapsed onto her rear and sent the blast upwards towards a nearby wall. The helpless wall shattered with ease and scattered large amounts of debris across the nearby land. Glancing up at her unintentional work, Peridot paled as she realised that she had now added to the already tarnished state of the Kindergarten; her own incompetence joining that of her previously aforementioned technicians.

"Oh no!" She yelped as she stared at the smouldering wreckage of the Kindergarten wall. "What have I done!? I mean, I know this place is shoddy anyway but I didn't need to add to it!? What if Yellow Diamond orders me to recover some of this!? Or asks me to document any damage caused to it?!"

Halting in her rambles, the Home-world operator noticed the dim shine that resonated from the hole she had created. "Wuh… What is… What is that?" She asked rhetorically, standing from her sat position and limping towards the dimly lit artificial cave; as to not to be fooled or attacked, Peridot kept her weapon armed and ready. "I don't remember this on the facility schematics… Unless this was one of the many secret projects mission-report informed me of…" Her bright green eyes widening excitedly as she began to pick up her faltering pace. "If there is any prototype technology still here then I am sure I can find something to help me out of this mess!"

The lab, though a dark and desolate place to the normal observer, was a beautiful feat of scientific creation to the eyes of the abandoned technician. With every vial of mysterious serums, she almost squealed with delight. At the sight of many untested weapon prototypes, she had to resist the urge to burst into maniacal laughter; concealing her deranged glee along with it. This place… This laboratory was a marvellous example of the brilliant ingenuity that those arcane Gem scientists and technicians possessed, something the current few generations seemed to be lacking. To the Peridot roaming these long abandoned walls, however, this was an absolute heaven to her and she was sure that she didn't ever want to leave. At this point in time, the _**Cluster**_ did not seem to matter. This was her new obsession. This was her new mission. This was her true priority…

' _I must take the time to examine absolutely everything!'_ She thought joyously. _'This won't just get me off this heaping rock,"_ She smiled as she lifted a small relic from its dusty pedestal. _'this will get me additional commendations from Yellow Diamond if I can recover it!'_

However, as suddenly as the object of sudden interest that had been laid upon her metallic palm, it quickly disintegrated and turned to dust. "No! No! No!" The Gem reached for a few more of the indistinguishable items and watched in horror as they each, subsequently, turned to dust and crushed her hopes with each and every falling particle. "No!" She begged as her flicker of determination dwindled. As the final relic she had attempted to recover disintegrated in her palm, she huddled herself onto the ground and brought her artificial legs to her chest as the light drained from her verdant eyes. "N-No…"

"That… That was my last hope… I'm doomed." Her lips trembled slightly. "I… I'm going to… I'm going to die here…. And… And I'm all alone…" Tears welled up in her eyes. "Alone…"

In a moment of weakness, the Gem let slip some tears and she began to… to… _**cry**_. She was unable to see why she shouldn't be this vulnerable and weak in this moment. What excuse could she possibly have for trying to remain strong? It was all over. She had no hope of going back to the only home she had known. Her chief of security, Jasper – a being unmatched in strength and brutality – had abandoned her by making a foolish tactical manoeuvre to attack those Crystal Clods head on. She was no use to Peridot at the bottom of the ocean! Her commander and chief, Yellow Diamond, had left her on this planet to suffer, alone. She hadn't even bothered to contact her for a status report. Without the Diamond, she had no other way home…

She truly had been forsaken…

So, tears didn't seem so silly anymore…

Especially since she was alone…

…

' _Wait…' He reasoned, one more, to his own weakening psyche. 'I just need to keep… waiting…'_

 _He was still here. He hadn't moved. He hadn't budged. He was not even sure how much time had passed since the beginning of his dialogue to the audience that consisted of himself and the immaterial_ _ **Darkness**_ _. An interesting audience, to be sure._

 _He never did feel judged by any possible disapproving eyes or opinions. Peer pressure was not a problem for the abandoned Gem as he was never forced to conform to appeal to anyone. As much as he may have resented this existence, it had a certain appeal to it… To not ever be judged… To be independent and free from all whom would ever bring negativity to your life._

 _It was… was… nice._

 _However, it still felt – in some sick way – shallow. Not being judged… Not having someone approve of your actions… felt completely wrong. Without someone to judge your every motive… To guide your every step on the path you have been destined to follow... life seemed to have no meaning. There were no experiences to learn from, no life to live that involved the many multitude of opinions and personalities that came from other lifeforms._

 _How was this abandoned Gem supposed to know what was the only true right and wrong without guidance? How could he ever learn anything if he was never taught the meaning of morality and its many contorting and corrupted faces?_ _ **How was he supposed to discover his purpose without a guide to show him the path ahead!?**_

 _Tears fell once again, this time, accompanied by the boiling flames of rage. They seared throughout the core of his entire being and consumed each and every piece of mineral that made up this invisible form. This place… This hell made him almost lose what stable emotional control he had. He was so useless here! He could do nothing but_ _ **wait**_ _and be patient until he would be free and… and…_

' _What will I do when I am free?' He thought. 'If I cannot find my purpose within this abyss… How can ever do something with my life or follow a path if I have no idea what I should do?'_

 _The anger nearly boiled over, almost consuming him. '_ _ **Oh, what does it matter!?**_ _' He replied, barking back at his previous statement as if it were the irritating rhetoric of some ignorant delinquent. '_ _ **It's not like anyone cares! No one has found me and no one ever will!**_ _'_

' _But… I can't… give up…' He timidly replied. 'Once I get out… I can help people…'_

' _ **Like anyone wants my help!**_ _'_

' _Everyone… Everyone needs help… sometimes…'_

' _ **I don't even know what my purpose is! How am I supposed to help others when I canno-Wait…**_ _' He halted in his scolding, hearing the intrusion of a foreign sound breaching the darkness. '_ _ **That's… Someone's making a sound… I can…**_ _I can hear them…' He had never heard another being create any sound in here. It sounded familiar to him… It seemed to be… crying? They were crying. No wonder he remembered the sound. He had been the source of it often enough. This person must have been upset about something awful for them to cry. Maybe… Maybe they were nearby! Maybe he could reach out to them! Maybe he could-_

' _Help them…'_

 _A surge of delight flooded his being. 'Yeah… I… I can help them!' He cheered to the darkness, the immaterial entity ignoring him as if he were not even a being within its realm of existence. 'If they need me, I will find them and help them!' A small chuckle escaped his lips as he glanced towards the small glimmering object attached to what he assumed was his right stabilisation appendage, a glint of joy flaring into his eyes. 'And if I have to… I will serve them for the rest of my days… Just make them happy.'_

' _I can help everyone…' His core began to shine._

' _I can bring joy to the hearts of those less fortunate…'_

 _The glimmer that shone from his Gem did not seem to allow itself to fade_ _but he ignored it as he leaked more tears. They were no longer accustomed to the sorrow he had grown so used to. They were made from an overwhelming amount of joy._

 _He… He was finally free..._

' _I… I don't need to wait any longer…'_

 _And he didn't want to look back._

" _I am free…"_

…

Peridot had been seated in her miserable position for over half an hour weeping to herself, not willing to change her current actions for any reason as she felt that such effort was not needed to do something that would result in being completely pointless. Why, for the Diamond's sake, should she bother with her attempts to escape this pit anymore? All her remaining hope had been lost. She was on her own now and no one was going to help her. No one even cared abo-

 _Clink!_

She jolted suddenly, raising her arm cannon in alarm in an attempt to target the sounds originator. "Who's there!?" She hoped, that out of everything, it was not another disgusting cluster amalgamation hiding in the shadows to strike and begin wreaking havoc amongst the ruins. She just couldn't deal with that right now; not in the middle of such emotion al turmoil. "I'll shoot! If you come any closer, I'll tear you apart!"

She jumped as she noticed the faint glimmer coming from a small container to her right, alerting her to its presence. She tried her best to calm her nerves before she scared herself back into her own Gem but felt that even the slightest visual or audible occurrences would suffice to do so. The small violet glow was weak but not fading. It was just enough to get the attention of anyone in the rooms vicinity. Treading cautiously towards the object, Peridot kept her weapon trained upon the mysterious glow; she was sure to make each step as careful as absolutely possible – especially with her damaged synthetic leg enhancer.

"Okay, okay, okay…" She reasoned to her distressed psyche, the same mantra repeating continuously. "It's probably only a control switch. Or a beacon. Maybe it is just a mood light…" Her free disembodied digits came to her face as to simulate a face-palm. How could she suggest something so ridiculously stupid!? She was starting to act like those Clods that constantly plagued her! "Okay, Peridot, you'll be fine." She took a soothing intake of air. "I'll be fine. I'll be fine. I'll be fine!"

Peridot reached forward and flipped open the container with a soft thump against the metallic wall, her eyes clenching shut along with the release of an audible 'eep!' – in her own opinion, moments of tension and angst were something she would most rather avoid. Technicians, like her, should not have to deal with this sort of task. That's what Jasper was supposed to be doing in her place; being stuck at the bottom of this planets ocean certainly hampered the behemoth from her task. A single eye peeked open, gazing worryingly into the case with an overwhelming feeling of dread. Surprised at finding nothing of any particular danger, she released a gasp as both her verdant eyes shot open to gaze in awe at her unexpected discovery. Reaching into the steel container, marked with the original emblem of the four Diamonds, Peridot grasped a hold of the small violet and blue mineral within.

Her eyes narrowed as her arm enhancer began a scan on the small mysterious object. "A… A Gem?" She traced a single synthetic digit over the distinctive crack splintered down the centre. "Great… It's cracked. Still, I don't think I have ever seen a Gem like this." The enhancer beeped as the scanner finished its analysis, forming a perfectly hexagonal holographic interface with the uploaded relevant data presented for the technician to examine. "Let's see…"

-Analysis: _A short-running prototype Gem project with only a few actual successful formations and a singular Perfected formation. Designed – on direct orders from Yellow Diamond – to be created for in service of [Classified Information] Diamond. This Gem was constructed with the express purpose of assisting troop movements with reconnaissance, serving the Diamond's whims as a loyal '_ _ **drone**_ _' workforce and assist officers or people of importance in a similar role that would otherwise be taken on by a Pearl._

-Abilities: _The capabilities gifted to this prototype come from the basic selection shared by all Gems but differ from the basic formations with the inclusion of some unique abilities:_

 _-Being able to forge and repair any form of weaponry or technology when given the instruction._

 _-Access a low-base level healing ability that cannot fully heal a fellow Gem soldier or Officer but help temporarily stabilise their condition._

 _-With enough concentration, this unit can use its third optic to be able to see great dista-_

"Wait, what!?"

Ignoring the rest of the rest of the data, Peridot leaned closer to the screen with a deranged glee as she reread the only part of the text that interested her. "This… This is it!" Her eyes widened as she nearly leapt for joy, closing her monitor and cradling the cracked Gem with the utmost care of a human mother with her offspring. "Even if it is cracked… I can just get it repaired! Then, I will have both a builder and a servant!" She cackled, holding the Gem up triumphantly. "To think, a Peridot with another Gem serving her every whim! It will be like having my own Pearl!"

Deciding that she had to begin to plan her escape from this hell, the technician – cradling the abandoned broken Gem – began to tread towards the nearby Warp Pad with a newly revived vigour. This was her only option now. She needed to explore the damage of the original Homeworld Warp Pad and then wait for her opportunity to move against the Crystal Gems and capture her only means to ever repair the Gem or the Warp Pad: the Steven.

' _The Steven, with his healing abilities, is my only and last chance off this heaping rock!'_ The technician narrowed her eyes, raw determination boiling throughout her entire being. _'I will need to bide my time and wait for an opportunity to capture him and force him to use what powers he has to help me escape…"_

Peridot wasn't worried about her lonely and dismal fate anymore. With this newly acquired Gem, and her own brilliant ingenuity, she would easily be able to capture that pebble who lives with those Crystal Clods, _persuade_ him to repair the Gem and arrive back on Home-world with a mission success.

Who cared about Jasper? Who cared about the fate of this miserable planet? If she could bring home a recovered Gem prototype sworn to her service, that 'Steven' as her prisoner and assure the success of the _**Cluster's**_ formation, Yellow Diamond – her Diamond – would be so pleased! Peridot could imagine the praise she would receive for her exemplary work.

"She would be so proud of me!" She squealed as she approached the Kindergartens resident Warp Pad. "A promotion, my own Pearl and some well-earned Respect!" She took her place atop the technological marvel. "The possibilities would be endless!"

All she needed to do was to just prolong her patience a little longer and take her time coming up with a plan of action. Arrogance would not pay off here. Neither would taking the easiest routes. She had no working destabilisers to defend herself with and an impeding injury that would hasten her work. She needed to be patient and plan her every move.

Patience was the key.

' _I just need to wait for my opportunity to arise.'_ She reasoned with a dark sneer as the bright light of the Warp-device activated. _'And no Crystal Clods will be able to stop me now!'_


	3. Chapter II: Catch and Ponder

_**Steven Universe:**_

 _ **I Live to Serve…**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own anything to do with the Steven Universe franchise but I do own the OC that this story centres around.**_

 _ **So, let's get started…**_

Chapter II: Catch and Ponder…

Steven leaned himself against the ceramic sink of his bathroom, his eyes locked onto the distorted mirror image of himself within the small rippling waves of the sinks water. He could not remember when he started staring at his own reflection but was not to concerned with it as it was not very important. He hugged his arms just underneath his chin and rested his head against it like a person would a cushion. He watched his reflection with a keen interest, tilting his head and giving a soft smile at the face staring back. After all he had been through in the past few weeks, he was happy to be able to stare into the reflective waters and be greeted with a familiar face.

His head lifted slightly as his smile grew, his head tilting in a slight nod of conformation to his thoughts. "Despite everything," He began with a determined look in his eyes – well, as determined as he could appear while clearly exhausted. "with Jasper, Peridot, Lapis and even Malachite," He held up a weak _'thumbs up'_ to himself – in a loose imitation of Garnet's signature gesture of approval – and winked to his own reflected image. "it's still me."

Before he could continue his motivational message any further, he heard Pearl's distant cry ordering him out of stupor. "Steven!" The soft voice called. "Come out of the bathroom. It is time for sleep!"

Finishing up with a brush of his teeth and quick once over of his recently polished Gem, the young Gem exited the small restroom and was greeted by the sight of what the tall, slender Gem had prepared for him. As usual, his bed was immaculate. Pearl was renowned for obsessing over every minor detail before she was assured that the job was done but it was still nice all the same. Not finding her within the living room, Steven began running up the stairs with what little adrenaline he had left and leapt onto his bed. He crawled beneath the covers and sighed contentedly, feeling the soothing warmth of the covers relax his every nerve.

He lazily glanced at the toys and items that aligned his shelves, noting each one of them favourably and with a level of affection one would give to one's friends. "Goodnight, Happy-Bear! Goodnight, Sad-Bunny!" He angled his head towards the right foot of his bed. "Goodnight, Playful-Kitty!" As he reached the last object, an oddly familiar triangular shape, he hesitated. "Goodnight, ominous triangle at the foot of my bed…" He finished as he began to close his eyes, not taking in the anomalies great irregularity in his home.

Realising the presence of an irregularity that he had overlooked, Steven opened his tired eyes once again and tried to catch sight of the object once again. However, the moment he returned his attention to the anomaly, it seemed to have mysteriously disappeared. Happily inclining to believe that it was just a mere figment of his imagination from his already exhausted mind, Steven was more than welcoming the sleep he desired.

"Eh, whatever…" He mumbled as he once again closed his eyes and pulled the covers up to his shoulders. Suddenly, he tensed as he felt a blunt, metal appendage clamp over his face and cover his mouth. He attempted to protest but failed as it merely came out as incoherent sounds of discomfort and objection. He struggled valiantly as the unknown kidnapper hoisted him from the bed and carried his towards the temple's resident Warp Pad. Nevertheless, his attempts did nothing to halt the progress of his kidnappers obviously sinister plan. As they approached the teleportation device, Steven's struggles halted for a single moment as he noticed the odd purplish glow emanating from his abductors free appendage.

He had seen that type of glow before…

It was the glow of a Gem.

Question was, why did his kidnapper have it?

…

Igniting the Galaxy Warp-Pad in a brilliant light, it faded almost instantaneously while letting the darkness brush its own entropy across the once majestic architecture. The atmosphere was heavy but not suffocating, leaving only a dark metaphor to its connection to the Homeworld.

The figures whom materialised from the teleportation device collapsed to the ground the second they appeared, both struggling to gain some control over the situation. Refusing to be outdone by her reluctant charge, the artificially tall Gem held up her limb-enhancer and sealed the young Gemling within a projected green sphere. "Enough of this!" She declared, moving the Gemling over towards the central Warp-Pad.

"What do you want from me!?" Steven asked. His eyes laced themselves with concern when he noticed the Gem's scowl and the look of frustration in her eyes. An angry Peridot was a dangerous Peridot.

The Gem stamped her away up the steps of the primary Homeworld Warp-Pad and turned her attention back to her captured enemy. "I _want_ to get off this Gem-forsaken planet!" She snapped, dissipating the containment field and letting Steven slam into the ground. Shaking his head slightly as he regained his composure, Steven looked up to see his kidnapper holding a violet coloured Gem towards him. "I need you to fix this!"

He stared at the mineral as if mesmerised. The Gem's shape was a very thin oval that could be mistaken for a crystal eye; not knowing why, but Steven almost felt as if it were watching him. It seemed silly but not impossible. Examining it further, Steven made a note of the pulsating light that emitted from the unknown Gems centre. It offered only a faint glow to attract his attention and lured his eyes to lock onto the most prominent anomaly upon the Gem's surface: The Crack.

Steven glanced upwards. "It's cracked…" He whispered. He reached forwards with his hand and took it from her, ignoring the sharp sting that sped through his veins. He looked up towards his kidnapper with concern lacing his eyes. "What happened to her?"

"What does it matter!?" She screeched. "You have to fix that Gem so that it can fix the Homeworld Warp-Pad!"

Steven looked up from the Gem in his palms, disbelief striking his usually calm features. "Wait, what!?"

"You're my last chance!" She begged. "I've got no Flask-Robonoids!" The green technician pointed towards the stump that had once housed her artificial foot. "I've got not foot!" She threw her arms forwards in distress, her artificial fingers scattering from their aligned position. "I've got no response from Yellow Diamond!"

Watching her take a deep inhale of air as to steady herself, Steven started to sweat profusely as he felt her rage boiling. "I know you fixed Lazuli's Gem." She raised an artificial digit and aimed it towards the young boys face. "Whatever you did, you need to do it again with this Gem or the Homeworld Warp." Her arm raised and the artificial fingers formed her notorious arm-cannon, priming with a highly volatile explosive sphere of pure energy. "Or else!"

The descendant of Rose Quartz paled slightly. "O-Oh, okay!" He looked down at the Gem held carefully in his palm as if fearing he may accidentally shatter it. "Just give me a second." He moved his legs until he was in a kneeled position before the Gem. "My mouth gets really dry when I'm scared…"

Peridot kept her eyes locked on the insignificant pebble that she had kidnapped, being sure to watch his every move in case he attempted anything. She could not allow him to escape and interfere with her plans. To stop her from ever returning home. She could not fail. She watched as the human licked his hand and draped it with saliva, preparing to also smother the Gem she had given him in the same substance.

' _If he is going to do what I think he is, then that's disgusting.'_ She thought, resisting the urge to recoil in disgust. _'But if that's what it takes, then so be it.'_ She paused her thoughts for a moment, looking at the cracked Gem with slight sympathy. _'Glad it's not me in that poor clods place…'_

"Okay, here goes!" Steven declared as he gently smacked the saliva upon the Gem, Peridot recoiling from the disgusting splat that resounded from his action.

Both the Gem and hybrid looked on expectantly, waiting for the miraculous recovery of the Gem to begin. Steven stared on with widened eyes and a strong hope that it would work. Even if he was unwillingly helping Peridot with her schemes, Steven was still hoping that he could, at least, rescue another Gem from their torment – just like had once done with Lapis. However, the threat of impending death also encouraged him to hope that his abilities chose this opportunity to work; but with every passing second, however, that faith seemed to dwindle.

Peridot stared at the Gem for a few moments, her eyes gradually getting more concerned as more time elapsed. "What was that?" She raised her arms slightly. "It didn't do anything!" She declared weakly, the overwhelming tone of worry destroying her previously measured composure.

Steven paled once again. "It… doesn't always work."

She snatched the pulsating Gem away from the young hybrid. "Nononononono!" She begged as she shook the Gem like a child with broken toy in a desperate attempt to make the Gem reform, only crushing her hopes further as the mineral responded with the simple pulsating light. "You have to work!"

Gaining her attention once again, Steven interrupted. "I'm really sorry!" If she were not so caught up in her own desperate pleas, Peridot would have scoffed at the amount of unwanted pity the pebble was trying to impart.

Glancing at her feet, Peridot focused once again upon the damaged Homeworld Warp-Pad. "D-Do it again!" She ordered with a slight crack in her voice. She hoisted the Gemling up by his very strange looking uniform and shook him slightly, causing a yelp to escape from the sudden motion. "You have to tr-try again with the Homeworld Warp!" She almost scolded herself for her stutter. She was so determined to keep her composure during the interaction but now, she could feel, it was crumbling.

Grunting once again as she dropped him to the ground below, Steven steeled himself as he saw her charge her cannon out the corner of his eyes and take aim. He knew he had to get it to work this time. He had no choice. It either that or he would… well, he was not actually too sure what would happen to him. "Ri-Right." He nodded to himself as he licked his palm once again, a hidden determination filling his being. "Okay, here goes one more try!"

Almost cringing once again from the unnecessarily loud smack, Peridot stared intently at the teleportation device in hopes that it would react. The seconds of silence dragged into minutes of boiling tension that were broken only by the sounds of falling water. Finally, after waiting for what she had deemed to be an acceptable length of time, Peridot screamed and slammed the stub of her damaged leg enhancer against the ground like a child.

"No!" Her detached synthetic digits clenched to what resembled a fist as her arms trembled, her rage reaching its boiling point and seeping from her form in a fit of childish frustration. "Why do terrible things always happen to me!?" Steven reeled back slightly as he saw the Gem's anger boil over, crawling away in an attempt to avoid becoming the immediate target of her wrath. He watched her pause, taking a moment to raise her palm and stare at the cracked Gem sitting upon her detached digits. "You… You… You were useless!"

Peridot discarded the Gem with a very forceful fling to the ground that clinked quite audibly and made Steven flinch, hoping that more damage had not been caused to the small Gem. Arming her cannon with the very familiar and distinct green energy it had been infamous for, the Homeworld technician growled as she took aim towards the helpless Gem. Steven gasped as he watched on, fearing for the helpless Gem that lay before the technician and her uncharacteristically murderous wrath. He tumbled forwards and charged towards the cracked Gem.

"Stop!" Steven cried.

Peridot paused for a moment, wondering why this human would throw himself in the path of her attack to simply protect a worthless broken Gem. "Why should I!?" She asked hysterically, her cannon priming.

He pulled the Gem close to his chest, hugging it protectively from its abuser. "Just because she couldn't help you doesn't mean you should hurt her!"

"That's not the point!" She retorted. "After all that I have had to put up with thanks to _you_ and those Crystal Clods, I had hoped that – after this dead pet project was complete – I would be free to leave this miserable planet. Ever since I arrived on this disgusting rock it has just been failure after failure and it's all because of the four of you!"

Steven stood from his crouched position, standing his ground against the enraged technician. "You're the one who has been causing all the problems, Peridot!" He retorted, causing her to flinch slightly. "All we wanted – all I wanted – was for us all to get along and not fight each other." Steven paused for a moment. He thought back to the discourse between Garnet and Pearl, the invasion that nearly ruined his and the Gems lives and even the resurfacing of the Gem Amalgamations. It all stared back at him like the pages of an open book. "Why can't you just be our friend and not our enemy!?"

"Your... Your friend!?" She asked mockingly. "How could you suggest such a ridiculous concept after all you have done to me!?"

"We never wanted to hurt you!" He insisted.

"Pardon me if I find that hard to believe." Her response came out in a sharp hiss. Steven flinched at the venom in her tone. "All I wanted was to go home and you four have made it your mission to impede me at every step!" She thrusted her arm forwards, bringing the pulsating cannon closer to her target. "All I wanted was to be left alone!"

Taking a comforting inhale of air, Steven continued to stand his ground against the technician. "Even if we have done you wrong," He began evenly, his eyes locking on the small Gem within his care. "this Gem doesn't deserve this." He turned his gaze back up to Peridot, watching as her previously furious visage seemed to falter. "If you want to hurt someone, Peridot," He placed the Gem on the floor beside him, putting a distance between himself and the cracked Gem. He held his arms wide open. "th-then hurt me. Not her."

For a moment Peridot seemed to freeze up and the energy of her cannon slowly dissipated. Steven sighed as she lowered her arm and her shoulders sagged, relived that the threat to the unknown Gem had been resolved. Steven turned towards Peridot as she suddenly released a strangled chuckle. She repeated this sound several more times until she began to descend into a sitting position, her strangled chuckles becoming a series of stifled sobs.

"Y-You don't understand." Tears began to fall from her eyes as she pulled her knees to her chest, her eyes staring at nothing but the cold remains of the Homeworld Warp before her. "This… This was my last chance…" She murmured, not noticing the young Gemling's approach. She lowered her face into her knees as more tears streaked across her verdant cheeks. "I… really am going to die here…"

She remembered this feeling from before – in the Kindergarten. The hopelessness. The dread. The fear. It all came back to consume her once again. For a moment… For one brief moment, she truly believed that, because of Steven and that Gem, she had a chance to escape this wretched planet and go home. Where she belonged… Where she wanted to be most in the entire universe… And now that ideal seemed to be falling apart around her and there was nothing she could do. Now, all she could do was wallow and wait for the end…

The young Gem approached the crying Homeworld Gem and placed a hand on her shoulder, unsurprised at her lack of a reaction. "Hey, hey, Peridot, come on." He reassured. "Earth isn't that bad…"

The Gem lifted her head to match Steven's gaze, panic lacing her eyes. "It doesn't matter what Earth is like," She croaked, her detachable fingers clinging to her hair in a desperate attempt to keep herself from losing what composure she had. "it's not going to be anything soon!"

Steven paused for a moment, his eyebrows knitting curiously. "Wait, what do you mean?

Their attention was dragged towards a brilliant flash of light emitting from the warp-pad they had previously arrived from, the harmonious whirring sound indicating the arrival of those using the device. As the light cleared, Peridot rubbed her eyes with her arm and snarled at whom she presumed it would be; she raised herself from her seated position and proceeded to put some distance between herself and her enemies. The three newly arrived figures glanced around the location until their eyes met with Steven's, a mix of joy and concern etched upon their features.

"There he is!" Pearl cried as she ran ahead of the trio, the relief in her voice evident.

Steven smiled as he called out to them. "Guys!"

"What happened!?" Pearl asked as she desperately clung to Steven like a worried mother and her child.

As the other Gems caught up to them, Amethyst released a relieved sigh. "You're okay!"

"Peridot!" Garnet snapped through gritted teeth, taking her rightful position at the groups lead.

Peridot narrowed her eyes at her enemies, charging her cannon and priming it to be fired at her will. "Ugh, why can't you just leave me alone!?" She whined as she began firing at the now approaching Gems.

As Pearl let go of Steven and advanced to join the ensuing battle, he began searching for the Gem he had safely placed away from Peridot and himself. He continued to look, almost panicking at the idea of losing the innocent bystander of this entire debacle between Peridot and himself. He couldn't let the Gem go missing or get hurt, they didn't deserve that. He did not know much about this Gem and would be the first to admit that he had no idea of her intentions but, if this Gem was in a situation close to anything that Steven had rescued Lapis Lazuli from, he had to help as best he could. He would not be able live with himself otherwise.

He yelped as a green energy blast – clearly intended for the Crystal Gems – scorched the earth beside him. Opening his eyes once again, he noticed a faint glimmer of something seemingly flying through the air. He glanced up, gasping as he watched the thin oval shaped Gem plummet towards the ground. Without thinking of the danger or his own wellbeing, Steven sprinted towards the Gem and leapt; luckily, he landed on his front with his arm extended forwards to catch the still pulsating Gem before it fell off of their platform. He sighed in relief as he brought the Gem to his chest and hugged it.

A startling sound of crackling electricity drew Steven's attention back towards the skirmish between Peridot and the Crystal Gems. He watched as the electrical current travelled through the cable of Amethysts whip but the flow was immediately insulated by Garnet's powerful gauntlets. Taking a hold of the whips cable with both hands, Garnet used all of her strength to pull the hovering Peridot down; the technician fell like a comet and plummeted with a solid thump. Steven gasped at the sight and clung to the unreformed Gem tighter, worried for the Homeworld technician.

He watched as Peridot wearily stood from the small impact cloud of dust that she had created on impact, her limping form stumbling away from her attackers. "Wait!" She cried. "Wait, y-you… you need me!" She spun suddenly and charged her weapon in an attempt at a glancing hit on Pearl as she attempted an attack from the rear. "I'm the only one who knows about the-"

Garnet's gauntlets locked around her frame before she could finish and silenced her. Her face took on a sudden expression of panic before her attacker tightened her grip upon the Technician until her form dispersed, a cloud of dust left in her wake. Steven flinched as he watched what appeared to be the remnants of her limbs clang against the ground. Amethyst and Pearl lingered over them as to examine the artificial limbs.

"What on earth?" Pearl asked in shock.

Amethyst recoiled. "Ugh, sick!" She spat. "There's bits of her all over…"

"Nope." Garnet stated confidently as she held up the triangular green gem within a small bubble of her own creation, making Steven stare at the shimmering Gemstone that was once the angry Homeworld technician. "She's right here," She tapped the top of the bubble with her hand and let it dematerialise from sight. "and now she's in the temple."

Gingerly, Pearl picked up one of Peridot's remaining limbs. "So, these were actually part of her body?"

Pushing Pearl aside, Amethyst gathered the pieces of what remained of Peridot and carelessly flung them over the edge of the Galaxy Warp. "Oops!"

The four Gems watched as the artificial limbs plummeted into the waters below, each of them wondering how Peridot was able exist without them. Standing at the back of the group, Steven glanced towards the Gem in his arms and noticed that it had ceased its pulsating light. Looking at the Gems as they watched the plummeting limbs, Steven wondered if he should tell them about the Gem that was in his possession. Should he reveal this information? If so, how would they react? Would they lock her away in the core room with Peridot and the like? Would they help him set her free? He… He wasn't sure. Instead, he opted to place the stone in his pajama pockets for now and think about the situation before making a decision.

Still, something was bugging him. "Garnet, she was trying to tell us something…"

"Those were the desperate lies of a Gem whose been caught," Garnet placed her hand comfortingly in Steven's hair and ruffled it. "you don't have to worry about her anymore."

They began walking back towards the Warp pad, Pearl guiding him away from the sight of their heated battle with Peridot. "Come on, Steven." She encouraged. "I'm so glad this is finally over…"

Steven looked down towards his pocket and placed a careful hand against the small oval Gem residing there. He was certainly relieved that he had been able to save the Gem and that Peridot had finally been captured but – for some reason – as relived as Pearl and the others seemed to be, Steven was not so sure he felt the same way…


End file.
